Stained Hands Can’t Be Cleansed… or Can They?
by bloodstainedeverdark06
Summary: Sequel to After War. After the War with Dante, Marena and Cloud face a new enemy. Who is the murderer using Marena's deceased brother's name? Are Marena and Cloud finally going to admit their feelings to each other? CloudxOC
1. Prologue: Family

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I do however own the plot of this story and the characters that are not from Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Thank you. Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue: Family**

_After the War with Dante, I tried to settle down into my new family. It was hard because I wasn't used to having attention or having people worry about me. Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene were the main people I saw during the week. Everyone else like Barret, Vincent, and Yuffie I normally saw on weekends. I hadn't seen the rest of the team since Sephiroth came back through Kadaj but that was a while ago. I'm very happy with my new family. I'm more outgoing now that my past has been taken care of permanently. Cloud is helping me the most to heal my heart. I wish mother, father, and Trent were here to see how happy I finally am. I don't have to hide behind my second form anymore. Everyone has accepted me for who I really am. I don't want anything to ruin this for me. Really, I love my new family._

_Diary Entry 2:_

_Marena_

"_Trent"_

_McLowd_


	2. I Don't Understand

_**Chapter One: I Don't Understand**_

"Strife Delivery Service; you name it, we'll deliver it," Marena says into the phone on Cloud's desk.

"How soon does it need to be delivered?" she asks.

A man speaks to Marena over the phone.

"I'll tell him right away. Thank you," Marena says.

He speaks again.

"Have a nice day," Marena says and hangs up.

She picks up the phone again to call Cloud.

"Marena, Denzel won't take me to see Yuffie!" Marlene complains as she comes in.

Marena dials Cloud's number while saying, "Why don't you want to go with Marlene, Denzel?"

Denzel stands behind Marlene and says, "We went yesterday to see Barret!"

"Please go with Marlene? She'll need a big strong boy like you to protect her," Marena says and hears Cloud on the phone.

"Hello?"

Marena smiles as Denzel blushes and drags Marlene downstairs.

"Hey, Cloud; David wants you to deliver another part for him. He said he'll give you directions once you get there," Marena says.

"Thanks, Marena," Cloud says, "How are the kids?"

Marena smiles and says, "The two Siamese twins just left your office. They're going to see Yuffie today."

"That's a funny nickname. Listen, I'm not going to be able to meet you at the church, but I can pick you up and take you with me to meet a friend," Cloud says.

"Who are we meeting?" Marena asks.

"You'll see. Be ready at the usual time. Bye," Cloud says.

"Hey, Cloud, wait..!" Marena starts but all she hears is the dial tone, "Damn him! Who is he taking me to meet?"

She puts the phone on the receiver and stands up to go downstairs but the phone rings.

"Strife Delivery Service; you name it, we deliver it," Marena says with a nice voice.

"Yo, where's Cloud? His phone is busy," a male voice asks.

"Who is this?" she asks.

"Rude; I'm trying to reach Cloud," he says.

"Oh, hey, Rude..! How've you been? What about Reno?" Marena asks as she leans against the desk.

"I'm fine and Reno is fine. Now, about Cloud…" Rude says.

"His phone shouldn't be busy anymore. I just hung up with him. Sorry for that, Rude. Tell Reno I said 'hey,'" Marena says.

"No problem, Marena. Have a nice day," Rude says.

"You… too…" Marena says but hears the dial tone meaning Rude hung up before she could reply.

She glares at the phone and slams it back down on the receiver. Marena storms out of Cloud's office and goes downstairs while mumbling to her self.

"People always hang up on me..." Marena says as she walks behind the bar.

Tifa walks back to the bar after taking someone's order at the tables.

"Hey, Marena," Tifa says as she pulls two beers out of the ice box, "Take this to table two. Be careful though, they're perverts."

"Great," Marena says sarcastically as she grabs the beers.

She walks over to table two and sets the beers in front of each man.

"What happened to the other girl? Oh well, you're just as pretty," the blonde says.

"Why don't you take a break and sit with us for a while?" the guy with no hair and a nose piercing offers.

"No, thanks... I don't have time," Marena says as she turns away.

"Aw, don't be like that, girly!" the blonde says as he grabs her belt loop.

Slapping his hand away, Marena gives him an icy glare. The look on his face is priceless as his toothpick falls to the ground in shock. Marena walks back to the bar, satisfied with her self as she waits for Tifa to finish bending under the counter.

"I told you they were bad," Tifa says as she sits up with five clean glasses.

She fills them with raspberry shots and drops a mint in each of them saying, "Table six in the corner."

Marena picks up the tray and takes the tray to the men and women in the back. This continued for a while; taking orders to people, sliding drinks down the bar, and throwing out the two perverts who tried to force Marena to sit with them.

The upstairs phone rings and Marena runs up to Cloud's office, answering the phone as she says the normal logo.

"I'll be there in five minutes," Cloud says.

"I'll be waiting," Marena says happily and hangs up.

Marena walks downstairs, pulling two hair barrettes out of her pocket and pinning her long silver bangs back so they wouldn't get in her way when she rode with Cloud.

"Bye, Tifa!" Marena says as she runs outside.

"Bye, Marena! Have fun with Cloud!" she yells after me.

Heat rises to Marena's cheeks because of the way Tifa said "have fun with Cloud."

She stands outside waiting and Cloud rides up besides her saying, "Ready?"

Marena nods with a smile and jumps on behind him.

Once they are going, Marena asks, "Who are we meeting?"

"You'll see!" Cloud yells through the wind.

She scowls at Cloud's blonde head and leans back with her hands on the metal bars on the back of the seat. After a while of riding, Marena realizes where they are going: the Forgotten Capital.

When they're slowly riding through the glowing trees, Marena asks, "What are we doing here?"

"Meeting someone," Cloud says as if it was obvious… and it was obvious.

They stop at a small clearing where two guys are standing. One is bald and the other has red hair… Reno and Rude!

After Cloud turns off the engine, Marena jumps off and runs at Reno.

"Reno!" she yells.

"Rena-kun..!" Reno says as he holds his arms out.

Marena runs into his arms and Reno swings her around; they laugh happily.

Cloud smiles at this as he gets off his bike and says, "Hey, guys."

Reno stops spinning Marena and sets her down saying, "Yo!"

Marena stands beside Reno with her arm around his shoulder and his arm around her stomach.

"Nice to see you again, bro," Reno says to Cloud.

"Likewise; how are you, Rude?" Cloud asks.

Rude nods saying, "Better…"

"I thought Tseng and Elena were supposed to be here," Cloud says as he doesn't see the pair.

"They were?" Marena asks.

"They had to do something for the boss," Rude says.

"Yeah, and I'm glad it's them and not me out there," Reno says as he rubs his head.

Rude clears his throat and Reno laughs saying, "And Rude!"

So some might wonder why Marena is on such good terms with Reno and Rude… After the war with Dante, trouble had started in Midgar. Monsters were appearing in the middle of the city, destroying many buildings and killing several innocents. Cloud, Marena, and the others had been overwhelmed by the number of monsters and called upon Rufus Shinra for help. Of course, Marena had been against this but knew they needed the help. Reno had actually managed to save Marena from being crushed by a giant monster. She had been seriously wounded and could not move fast enough to get out of the way. Reno had scooped her up and taken her to safety. Ever since that day, Marena and Reno had been best pals.

Marena laughs and says, "So what's going on? Why did you bring me, Cloud?"

Cloud shrugs and says, "I thought you might want to see him again so I invited you."

"Thanks!" Marena says as she hugs Reno again.

"Yo, lay off Rena! I'm not a plush toy!" Reno says.

"Stop calling me 'Rena' and I might!" Marena says with a laugh.

"But it makes you sound like my twin because if you replace the 'a' in Rena with an 'o' you get 'Reno!'" Reno says with a whiney voice.

Rude clears his throat and Marena lets go of Reno saying, "Sorry, Rude!" and hugs Rude, too.

Reno straightens his already wrinkled coat and says, "Alright, time to get down to business. We didn't ask you to come here to reacquaint each other. There's going to be another threat to Midgar, Cloud; a big threat."

After hearing this, Marena lets go of Rude and stands next to Cloud again.

"So Shinra wants my help, right? What is it?" Cloud asks, losing his grin and replacing it with a frown.

Reno scratches his head saying, "Well… It has something to do with Marena…"

"Me?" Marena asks shocked and confused.

Cloud looks just as shocked and confused and asks, "Why does it have something to do with Marena?"

Reno looks nervously as he puts a hand on his hip and behind his head.

"Well, they think she has another sibling, but they are far from being the good guy…" Reno says.

"What..?" Marena asks in shock.

Cloud asks, "How do they know this guy is her sibling?"

"He leaves a calling card, so to speak," Reno says as he nods toward Rude.

Rude pulls a plastic bag out of his coat and holds it up. A white piece of paper has a name written in blood on it…

_T. McLowd_

"Trent..?" Marena asks and says, "But that's not possible! That was my little brother's name!"

"We don't think the 'T' stands for Trent, Marena. We weren't given anymore clues to his identity, but we figured the only McLowds that are left were in Midgar; which is you, Marena. We also know that your parents had more than two children. You aren't their first child. Their first child was a male. He was taken from them and their memory was erased of him. Later, they had you and Trent. Now, the first male child is an adult, and he's going around the continent killing people who work with Shinra and destroying Shinra bases in order to get information. That was the only information they had in his profile. I think they know his first name, but they are keeping it from us so we don't go asking around," Reno says as examines his nails.

"The reason they took the male and why they erased the parents memory was also left out of the files," Rude points out.

"Which gives us reason to believe they did what they did to your parents: made him a part of an experiment," Reno says.

Marena stares at Reno, a sad expression on her face as she says, "So, I have a brother out there somewhere; and he's hurting people?"

Reno nods and says, "He destroyed a Shinra base in Salver. We have reason to believe he could come looking for you. All the files about you were in that base and are missing, but he took them and only them. We'll be sticking around Midgar for a while until we are given other orders. Frankly, I'm glad I get to be stationed here so I know you'll be safe."

"What are you trying to say, Reno?" Marena asks offensively.

Reno looks nervously and says, "Just saying you'll have extra protection if your brother does come snooping around!"

She rolls her eyes and looks away.

Cloud nods and asks, "Is that all?"

"Yep; we're just parked outside the forest. We'll drop by the bar once we check into our hotel," Reno says.

Marena just stands where she is, confused about this new piece of information.

An older brother is still alive?

The drive back to Midgar was silent. When Cloud parks in front of the bar, Marena sits there in her own thoughts, her arms still around Cloud and her face on his back.

"Marena, we're here," Cloud says as he nudges her with his elbow.

Marena sits up and says, "Sorry," as she gets off the bike.

She stands there and Cloud gets off his bike, kicking the kick stand down. He starts walking to the door but stops as he notices Marena standing there.

"Marena, what's wrong?" Cloud asks as he walks over to her.

"I don't understand. I just… Please, just let me have some time to think?" Marena says as she looks up at Cloud, pain clear in her eyes.

Cloud looks worried at her face and just nods. Marena walks inside the bar with Cloud following behind her.

"Hey, Marena, did you have fun?" Tifa asks as she looks up from the bar.

Marena just narrows her eyes at the floor and continues her way to the upstairs. Cloud goes to the bar and watches Marena walk upstairs silently.

Tifa looks worriedly at Marena's retreating form and says, "What's wrong with her? Did you do something, Cloud?"

Cloud shakes his head and begins to explain everything.

"I see, so she does have family left, but that person is a killer?" Tifa asks.

"Yeah; she's pretty depressed right now. She just wants to be left alone. I'll take her some dinner later," Cloud says as Tifa sets a plate of food in front of Cloud and a group of kids run downstairs.

"Marlene and Denzel are staying the night at Yuffie's place. She's bringing them over tomorrow for breakfast," Tifa says as she makes plates for the children and sets them at the tables.

"Okay," Cloud replies as he eats.

He glances at the stairs as he finishes eating and starts making his way to them. Cloud goes to his room and grabs some clothes as he goes to the bathroom, glancing at Marena's room on his way to take a shower.

Marena stands by the window, staring out into the dark of the night. She glances down at her motorcycle and sighs.

"I don't understand…" Marena says as she feels a few tears fall down her sad face.

Reno and Rude had come by a little after dinner was over and had a few drinks before they left; Tifa telling them Marena was sleeping. The children are in bed and Tifa was getting ready for bed.

Cloud is in his room with a small towel on top of his head, just draped over his short cropped hair. He stands beside his bed with only shorts on. Cloud dries his hair then throws the towel in a corner with a pile of dirty clothes. He pulls a black muscle shirt on and walks out of his room. He quietly walks downstairs and heats up a plate for Marena. He gets a glass of water and sets it on a tray along with silverware and the plate of food. Cloud takes the food upstairs and knocks on Marena's door.

"Come in, Cloud," Marena says through the door, recognizing his knock.

Cloud opens the door and walks in, seeing Marena standing by her window.

"I brought you dinner," Cloud says as he sets the tray on her nightstand where Marena's cell phone lays, dead as a doornail.

Cloud sits on the extra bed in the room and says, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Marena just stands there for a moment before she turns and runs toward Cloud tears forming in her mako blue eyes. Marena collapses on the floor between his legs as she buries her face in his stomach, wrapping her arms around him. Cloud looks shocked for a moment before he puts his hand on Marena's head, running his fingers through her short silver hair.

Marena says through sobs, "Cloud, I don't understand…"


	3. His Name

_**Chapter Two: His Name**_

After Marena calmed down, Cloud insisted she eat her dinner. She did as she was told and complimented Tifa's cooking.

"Are you going to be okay, Marena?" Cloud asked as he carried the tray to the door.

Marena is sitting on her bed, and she stares at the blanket as she says, "I am now… Thank you, Cloud."

Cloud just smiles, a reply nonetheless, and leaves to put away the dishes.

Marena's emotionless face suddenly turns anguished, and she turns the light out as she buries her face in her pillow. Before long, Marena went to sleep, tears staining her pillow.

The next day, Marena woke up due to the smell of something sweet. She opens her eyes and sits up. Looking to the nightstand, a small tray with a cup of steaming tea is sitting there. Marena picks up the cup and takes a small drink. After releasing a deep breath, Marena finishes the tea off slowly.

"Oh, good morning, Marena..!" Tifa's voice sings as she enters the room, "I hope you like the tea. Cloud told me you might not be feeling well this morning so I brought you something warm."

Marena nods and says, "Thanks, Tifa. It was nice."

When Marena sets the cup on the tray, Tifa sweeps it up in her hands and walks to the door.

"Cloud said he would be waiting at Aerith's church for you today. Don't be late," Tifa says with a wink as she leaves.

Marena raises an eyebrow at the wink and shakes her head. She gets up and decides to shower. Once she finishes dressing in the bathroom, the door swings open and Cloud is standing there. Marena had just started towel drying her hair when she sees him.

A huge blush appears on her face and she yells, "Cloud what are you doing here? Get out!"

Cloud quickly shuts the door saying, "Sorry!"

Marena sighs as she calms down and dries her hair. She throws the towel in the dirty clothes basket and walks out of the bathroom. Cloud is standing against the wall with a disturbed look on his face.

"There is a reason for knocking, Cloud," Marena says as she walks past him toward her room.

"I said I was sorry! Tifa said you were sleeping so I thought the bathroom was open!" Cloud says defensively with a light blush on his cheeks.

"Cloud…" Marena starts.

His blush goes away and his face looks curious, "Yeah?"

Marena puts her hand on her doorknob, her face toward the ground and says, "I'm sorry about last night. I didn't want you to see me like that but…"

"It's okay to cry, Marena," Cloud says.

Marena's eyes widen.

"I understand how you feel. You just worry about yourself now. I have a delivery to make, but I'll be at the church at the usual time," Cloud says understanding.

Marena's eyes soften as she relaxes.

"Thanks, Cloud…" Marena says as she goes into her room.

Cloud nods as he turns and leaves.

Marena pulls a leather bag from under her bed and starts putting on her hidden weapons. The only weapons you can see are her Sais which is strapped securely on her hips. A few materia are in a little pouch strapped onto her thigh, and a knife is hidden in one boot and few kunai in her other boot. Up her longer sleeve is a contraption where if you pull a string senbon needles shoot out. Two barrettes hold back her silver bangs from her face. Marena walks out of her room and goes into Cloud's office to take calls.

The time finally comes for Marena to go to the church so she turns the phone line over to the machine and walks downstairs.

"Heading to the church already?" Tifa asks as she hands a woman a drink.

Marena nods and says, "I'll see you soon, Tifa."

"Be safe!" Tifa says as Marena walks out the door.

Marena gets on her bike and starts it up. She looks around and pulls her safety glasses on her face. The glasses are black rimmed and transparent (not sunglasses).

On her way to the church, Marena stops at a shop and buys two items.

She gets back on the road and finally arrives at the church. When she walks in, Cloud is not there yet. Marena sighs as she walks to the pool of water which has a few flowers surrounding it.

Marena pulls a bag of seeds out of her pocket and reads the label: Lily Flowers.

"Sorry I'm a little late, Marena," Cloud says as he comes running into the Sanctuary.

She shakes her head saying, "It's alright, Cloud. I waited for you. I bought these seeds for us to give to Aerith."

Cloud stands next her, looking at the bag, and nods saying, "I'm sure she'd like that, and maybe more flowers will grow."

Marena nods saying, "I knew she would. I've never really met her in person, but she guides me a lot."

He nods as Marena holds the bag out to him, and Cloud takes a handful of seeds and throws them out in the water. Marena walks around the pool of water, throwing in handfuls of seeds here and there. Once the bag is empty, Marena throws it to the side and stands beside Cloud again. A moment of silence overtakes them as they listen to a whisper in the wind.

Marena looks at Cloud and then turns away with a blush.

Cloud looks down at Marena and asks, "Is something on your mind?"

She looks at him surprised and says, "How do you know?"

"I can tell these things sometimes, ya know?" Cloud says as he looks away with a blush.

Marena smiles but it fades as she says, "I want answers. I don't understand my connection to this guy who has taken on my family name. He isn't Trent, I know this for sure, but it could be an elder brother like Reno and Rude mentioned. I've never known what kind of love an older brother could give me, but maybe if I just talk to this guy he'll stop killing people. He may not even know who I am, but I need to stop him. He's using my last name and that is unforgivable; especially if he's just using it to throw them off!"

Cloud looks back at her and says, "Do you mean you're going to leave to search for him?"

Marena nods saying, "If I have to, yes, but after Reno said he might be looking for me, I'm going to wait a while."

Cloud looks sadly at the pool of water and says, "I don't want you to leave."

Marena gasps inwardly so Cloud doesn't hear. She keeps her face turned away from him so he doesn't see her expression.

"What do you mean, Cloud?" Marena asks nervously.

Cloud looks at her and says, "I want to be able to protect you, but if you leave I won't be able to see you. I'm not going to tell you not to leave, but I'm asking you to stay."

Marena still doesn't look at him as she says, "Cloud, I won't be able to find out who this guy is if I stay here unless he comes looking for me."

"Then we'll look together," Cloud says as he turns to her.

Marena looks sadly at the floor and says, "No, Cloud."

Cloud looks at her puzzled and asks, "Why not, Marena?"

"I don't want you to get hurt. I can handle myself anyway," she says as she turns away from him.

Cloud feels something burst in his chest, and he grabs Marena's arm and turns her toward him. He pulls her to his body and squashes her into an embrace. Marena's eyes widen to twice their normal size, if it were possible, as Cloud holds her close.

"Cloud… what are you doing?" Marena asks confused.

Cloud leans his head against Marena's head as he says, "Please, I don't want to lose another loved-one. Don't leave me, Marena…"

Marena feels tears brim her eyes and she says, "Please don't be sad, Cloud. I'm sorry."

Something wet drips on Cloud's chest and his face gains confusion. Marena suddenly pushes Cloud away from her and runs for the door.

"Marena..?" Cloud wonders as he goes to follow her.

"Cloud," a voice says.

Cloud stops in his tracks and turns to the pool of water asking, "Aerith?"

"Let her go, Cloud. You've gotten her confused and lost. She needs time," Aerith says.

Cloud stares into the water and says, "Are you still watching us, Aerith?"

Aerith giggles and says, "Of course I am, silly. Oh, thank you for the flowers. I'll help them grow."

"It was Marena's idea," Cloud says.

Aerith giggles and her voice turns into a whisper in the wind and the outline of the pool suddenly sprouts lilies. Cloud smiles but then frowns as he looks toward the church doors that Marena had helped him fix along with the entire room.

"It would seem I don't understand either," Cloud says to himself as he walks outside.

Marena speeds off across the desert land, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. She has tears streaming down her face and whipping out into the wind. Glowing white trees come into view and Marena picks up speed. Once she arrives at a pool of water in the center, Marena turns off her bike and runs toward the water. She runs into the water till it is up to her thighs. Breathing fast, Marena begins to sob.

"Why..? I didn't ask for this! Stop it… now!" Marena screams in the air to no one in particular.

A moment of silence passes, the only sound is Marena's gasps of sorrow. Her guard let down, Marena didn't notice the person walking up to the pool of water. The tears Marena cry land in the water, making tiny ripples.

"Why are you so anguished, little one?" a male voice asks.

Marena's tears stop suddenly and she wipes them away. She turns to look at the person with a sad yet angry face.

"Leave me alone! This is a sacred place!" Marena yells.

"If it is so sacred, then why did you bring your sorrow here?" the now identified male asks.

Marena gets frustrated and walks out of the water. She passes the man and walks toward her bike.

"Did I say something wrong, Marena?" he asks.

Marena stops in her tracks, her eyes fixed on her bike.

"You're wondering how I know your name. Well, let's say I have certain resources," he says.

"Who are you?" Marena asks.

"So you don't remember me, sister?" the man asks.

Marena turns to him with an angry face saying, "My brother is dead, you bastard! This is the very place where I laid his body to be sent to the Lifestream! Stop joking around!"

The man puts a hand on his hip saying, "Hmm… You mean Trent is dead? That's too bad. I was hoping to meet him."

Marena's anger fades a little and looks at him curiously.

"Who are you, and how do you know mine and my brother's names?" Marena asks.

The man smiles and says, "Well, I don't want to tell you my name just yet, Marena, but I will tell you this: once I was set free I came to search for any living relatives."

Marena's eyes widen in realization.

When he starts fading away, Marena runs toward him with an arm out to him saying, "No, wait! What is your name? Please..!"

When she makes it to him she falls right through his after-image. Marena stares at the place where the man stood and feels a pain in her chest. In a sudden rush of anger, Marena punches the ground so hard she leaves a small crater around her fist. She stands up and walks to her bike. She mounts it and looks toward the water again.

"Help me, Trent. I don't understand," Marena whispers as she starts up the motorcycle and takes off to Midgar.

Marena walks through the 7th Heaven bar without a single glance at Tifa and Marlene. Ignoring Tifa's worried voice; Marena goes straight to her room.

As Marena is about to enter her room, Cloud rounds the corner yelling, "Marena!" as he runs to her.

Marena sighs as Cloud asks, "Where were you? I was worried about you!"

She doesn't look at Cloud's scolding face as she says, "Visiting my brother's grave."

Cloud's face looks relieved as he says, "Oh… Marena, I want to talk to you."

"Save it," Marena says as she goes into her room, slamming the door behind her, angry at Cloud for making her feel strange back at the church.

Cloud flinches at the sound and looks sad and worried at the door.

"Marena…" Cloud thinks to him self as he walks to his room.

Marena stands by her window, her mako eyes glowing in the dark as she stares down at the street.

Marena whispers menacingly, "I will learn his name."


	4. Left Behind

_**Chapter Three: Left Behind**_

Cloud sits on his bed and buries his face in his hands.

"I can't stop her…" he whispers.

"Yo, bro, what do you mean?" a male voice asks.

"Zack..?" Cloud asks as he looks up.

"You know, Cloud, you can't let a woman go like that. If she decides to leave, follow her why don't you?" Zack says.

"She doesn't want me to follow her. Aerith said to give her some time," Cloud says sadly.

"So..? Women are stubborn, don't you know that yet?" Zack asks.

"How can I make her stay?" Cloud asks desperately.

Zack's voice fades as he answers, "Don't…"

Cloud sighs as he stands and goes downstairs to eat. Tifa is feeding the children when Cloud sits at the bar.

"Hi, Cloud. What's wrong with Marena? She looked pretty angry when she came in," Tifa asks worriedly.

Cloud takes the glass of water Tifa gave him and says, "Reno told her about a man who is using her last name, so Marena thinks she has an older brother. She's upset and wants to leave m… I mean us."

Tifa looks at him strangely and says, "Why don't you offer to go with her. She'll be safer."

"I did; she wants me to stay behind," Cloud says as he stares at the glass of water.

Tifa looks at him furiously and says, "I'm going to give that girl a talking to!"

She starts storming up the stairs and Cloud calls, "Tifa..!"

Cloud sighs as Marlene sets a plate of food in front of him saying, "Eat up!"

"Thanks, Marlene," Cloud says.

Tifa punches Marena's door open and stomps into her room. Marena looks to the door with a surprised look.

"Tifa, what's wrong?" Marena asks emotionless.

Tifa points her finger at Marena saying, "What do you think you're going to do; run away? That is no way for the Marena I know to act!"

"What do you mean?" Marena asks bored.

"Don't play stupid with me, Marena "Trent" McLowd! I know you're planning on leaving with out Cloud or me! I'm not going to let you do this to yourself! You're a part of this family and family helps each other!" Tifa says sternly as she puts her hands on her hips.

Marena looks down saying, "I'll only put you all in danger if I stay here. If you come with me, you could be in even more danger."

"Family look out for each other, don't they? You're obviously looking out for us, but we want to look out for you, too. Dilly-dally shilly-shally! That's what I told Cloud when he was going to give up and die when he was sick. Cloud wasn't a quitter and neither are you, Marena! Don't you know how worried we are about you?" Tifa says as her earrings jingle.

Marena still stares sadly at the ground and says, "I don't want you to worry."

Tifa smiles and says, "Then let Cloud go with you, Marena. I won't worry if he does go with you. We'll wait for both of you to return. Please, take Cloud so I know you'll be safe."

Marena looks at her with tears in her eyes and says, "You don't know what you're saying, Tifa! You're just as blind as Cloud!"

Tifa looks shocked as Marena continues, "I'm not a normal person like you, Tifa. I was born with Jenova cells in my blood. I'm just as strong as Sephiroth, if not stronger. I could crush Cloud with my bare hands if I were his enemy. You just need stay out of my business! Your pep talk gave me strength, Tifa, but it won't help me when this man comes for me!"

Marena turns and lifts the window up, grabs a bag she had put together, and jumps outside.

"Marena stop!" Tifa yells after her.

Tifa runs to the window and looks out at Marena who had landed on her motorcycle. Marena kick starts the engine and speeds off, throwing dirt and dust in the air.

Tifa stares after her and feels a few tears fall from her eyes.

She runs downstairs yelling, "Cloud!"

Cloud stands up with a worried look asking, "What is it, Tifa?"

Tifa stands in front of him saying, "Marena took off! She's gone!"

Cloud's eyes widen and he runs outside and takes off on his own bike, following the dust cloud Marena had left behind.


	5. Older Brother

**_Chapter Four: Older Brother_**

"Where are you going? What do you plan to do? Is it worth the effort? What will you gain? Why are you doing this?"

All of these questions went through Marena's head as she sped toward Salver, a small poor community where a Shinra base is located. The road she is on continues, but she notices a fork in the road. If she keeps going straight she will come to Edge, so Marena takes the road with the sign pointing to Salver. The road seemed to be overgrown with grass and rocks spread over the grassy pavement.

The sky becomes dark with the coming night as she enters the small town of Salver. The houses are made of wood and they all look rundown. Some only have pieces of cloth as doors and the windows only have cloth to block people from viewing the inside. A few stores are located in the center of the small town but they carry very few quantities of supplies. As she keeps driving, Marena notices the fallen metal gates which had blocked the road, which had turned to dirt the further she went into town. No one was guarding the gates which were bent down to the ground. Whatever was beyond the gates is now in a giant heap of scrap metal and concrete.

Marena stops in front of the gate and turns off her motorcycle. She pulls her protective glasses off and leaves them and her bag on her bike. A sign on the ground which was once attached to the gate reads Salver Shinra Base, so Marena assumes this is the base her older brother had destroyed. She notices the numbered tags on the ground, signaling other Shinra had come here to recover things and take pictures for evidence of the scene.

Marena searches through the rubble for any clues but she gives up as she realizes Shinra had probably found them all. She had noticed the majority of the rubble had blood stains on it, and it made her angry so she kicked things out of her way as she walked back to her motorcycle.

As she sits on her bike she asks herself, "If you were led to kill all these people, what did they do to anger you? You must have had a reason to do this. If only I knew his name, I would be able to find some SOLDIER or agents to question them."

Marena pulls her glasses back over her eyes and rides back into town. She stops at a small restaurant and brings her stuff inside with her. Everyone seems to look at her when she walks in which causes Marena to leave her glasses over her eyes.

She goes to the man behind the bar and says, "A bowl of soup if you have it and some water, please."

"What kind of soup would you like?" he asks.

"Whatever you think is better," she says as she sets her stuff down on the stool next to her.

The man nods and starts on her order. A few minutes later a steaming bowl of soup with lumps of potatoes, carrots, and beef is set in front of her with a glass of water.

"Thank you," Marena says as she eats the soup happily.

She pauses and asks him, "Could you tell me anything about what happened at the Shinra base?"

The man looks afraid for a moment, but it passes as he tells his story.

"My wife and I were just resting in our room when we heard and felt an explosion. We went outside and saw the Shinra base was on fire, even though it was mostly made of metal, and we saw a man leaving with papers under his arm. We knew he was the one who had destroyed the base so we stayed hidden. No one survived the attack on the base, we know that for sure, but later on other Shinra people came to inspect the damage. I expect someone had called for backup or something," the man says as he leans on the bar.

"Did you happen to see the direction the man was heading?" Marena asks.

He nods saying, "Yep, he was heading toward Junon, but I can't say that is where he was actually going. He could have changed his route at any time."

Marena looks thoughtful for a moment and then nods, thanks him, and continues eating her meal.

When she is finished, she orders another bowl and eats it quickly. The man watches her, and when he sees she is finished he comes to her with the bill. Marena reads the cost and frowns.

"That's it; only this much?" she asks surprised at the low cost.

The man nods with a smile saying, "Not everyone in this town can afford to pay for meals at a high price, and you've probably noticed no one travels here very much with the main road over grown with grass. I'm not going to charge you any differently than the people who live here."

Marena nods and says, "Well, I guess I'll just have to pay you for what I thought it was worth."

The man looks at her sadly, thinking she would  
leave a small amount of money, but he is surprised as he sees a nice bag of money set on the counter.

As Marena stands to leave, the man stops her and says, "Oh, please, I couldn't possibly take all of this money, lady. You must have troubles of your own. Please, I don't need all this."

Marena only smiles kindly as she lifts her glasses up. When he sees her eyes, he stops looking so upset and smiles back.

"Thank you, miss," he says gratefully as he takes the money to a back room where Marena sees a woman sitting sadly.

She leaves and smiles with satisfaction when she hears a loud shout of glee from the back room where the woman and man had been. Marena gets back on her motorcycle and leaves the town, heading for Junon after he older brother.

**(Cloud's POV)**

Cloud speeds in the direction Marena had left and soon he comes to a split in the road. He sees Salver on one of the signs and remembers Reno telling Marena about the Shinra base destroyed in Salver. He goes that way and soon comes to a small town without a marking sign. Cloud notices the poverty of the small town and frowns to himself. He comes to the rubble of the Salver Shinra base and inspects it. After close inspection, Cloud knows Marena was here when he sees her footprints from her boots and her tire tracks from her motorcycle.

"I'm getting close," Cloud says as he goes to a nearby materia store.

Cloud buys some green healing materia, and he asks the woman at the counter about Marena. He is told about the restaurant across the street from the materia store.

"Thank you," Cloud says to the woman as he walks outside and walks across the street.

When he enters the small restaurant, everyone turns to look at him. The man at the bar stands straight as Cloud walks over to him with his sunglasses pulled on top of his head.

"Excuse me, but did a woman pass through here earlier? She has short silver hair and green eyes," Cloud says as he sits down.

The man nods as he says, "Oh, yes, what a wonderful woman. She left a large amount of money after eating, and as you can see, our town is very poor. We plan to distribute the money to everyone in town to help repair the houses. She left a few hours ago to head toward Junon, just before you arrived here."

Cloud nods and says, "I see, thank you. I would like a bowl of soup if you don't mind, sir."

The man nods saying, "Certainly, young man..."

When the man brings Cloud his food, he sets a glass of water beside it and says, "This is the same thing the young lady asked for earlier. I hope you like it as much as she did."

Cloud nods and eats as fast as he can manage. When he finishes, he thanks the man and leaves a bag of money on the counter. The man seems even more surprised as he realizes Cloud left more money than Marena!

"Oh, thank the heavens, you've finally brought us hope!" the man says as he clasps his hands together.

Cloud gets on his motorcycle and speeds off toward Junon after Marena.

"I have to stop Marena before she gets herself in this way too deep. I just hope I'm not too late," Cloud thinks to himself as he speeds.


	6. SoldierX

**_Chapter Five: SOLDIER-X_**

**(Marena's POV)**

As Marena drives on the road to Junon, she notices a few craters around the road meaning someone had fought a moving battle here. Farther along the road were broken down Shinra Turk vehicles on the side of the road. Marena smirks as she knows what this means.

"I'm getting closer, older brother," she whispers as she speeds up.

Upon arriving in the Junon area, Marena feels the hair on the back of her neck prickling. She swerves to the left, barely dodging a Shadow monster.

"If you don't learn the first time, I don't think you'll learn the next time," Marena says as she holds her right arm out, absorbing the Shadow summons in her black mist.

"I see you picked something up from our father. You're very clever, Marena," a deep voice yells over the noise of the motorcycle.

Marena's eyes widen as she looks to the right and sees the man from the Forgotten City riding on a motorcycle a few feet away from her.

"You..!" Marena yells as she looks at the man.

He smirks as he looks forward and backs off. Marena looks forward again and gasps as a Shadow Summon tackles her off her motorcycle. When she hits the ground, Marena grits her teeth as inertia takes over and she slides forward a few yards on her back. The Shadow Summon disappears as Marena activates her mist. She rolls over onto her stomach and uses her elbows to push herself up on her hands and knees.

"Damn it!" she curses as she sees blood drip off her neck and on to the ground.

"Are you hurt already, sister? I hope you can still fight," her brother says.

He is leaning against his motorcycle which is parked by Marena's totaled motorcycle. Marena blinks a few times as she gets to her feet, turning to look at her brother.

"What is your name?" Marena asks as blood drops off her back and on to her half white, half black clothes.

The man laughs as he stands up straight and walks toward her. He pulls on a pair of white gloves and runs a hand through his tousled hair.

"My name is Trae," her brother says as he draws a set of Sais from holsters on his hips.

Marena blinks a few times and feels her chest tighten.

"Why..?" she asks.

"Why, what, Marena..?" Trae asks when he is a few yards in front of her.

Marena draws her Sais and asks, "Why didn't I know about you? Why did they wipe away my parent's memories of you? What did they want to accomplish by making them forget you?"

Trae sighs and says, "Well, I was a successful experiment of a pair of successful experiments. Both of our parents were injected with SOLDIER cells not Jenova cells. Our cousin, Sephiroth, was a successful experiment of the Jenova project which makes him the ultimate SOLDIER so to speak. Cells that were taken from Sephiroth were put into other SOLDIER, and only two people, male and female, were successful at maintaining these cells.

"They fell in love by somehow being on the same team and created me, a successful experiment for Shinra's SOLDIER-X project. In order to prevent them from mutiny after taking me, Shinra scientist Hojo had their memory of me erased so they would stay loyal.

"When our mother became pregnant with you they decided it was time for our parents to retire to family life. When you were born, you were not compatible with the cells in me. You were a failed experiment and so was Trent. They injected both Trent and you with cells from my blood, hoping to make you both like me and maybe stronger. Trent failed to react to my cells, but you on the other hand, reacted immediately to them. Your hair and body continued to change appearances and your power sky-rocketed. Shinra decided our parents and Trent were no longer necessary to SOLDIER-X project so they were ordered to be assassinated.

"Shinra was trying to capture you to be used as a weapon, but you continued to change your appearance and your power levels were so high that the tracking device in your skull malfunctioned. It was only a week ago or so that I overheard Hojo and former President of Shinra talking about what they did to my family and their plans for you and I.

"Now, I'm going to get revenge for our family and us by destroying Shinra and anyone who stands in our way. Join me, Marena and we can get revenge on Shinra and SOLDIER for taking away our family."

Marena looks down at the ground as she replays everything Trae had said to her in her head. It all made sense to her, but is revenge what Marena is truly seeking? If Shinra really wanted to use her and Trae as their weapon, then what did they plan to use them against? They could have easily taken Marena at any time, and if Trae hadn't overheard Hojo's conversation with the former President Shinra he wouldn't be here either.

A flash of mako green eyes cuts through Marena's thoughts.

"Cloud..." Marena whispers out loud.

A tear falls from her face which is followed by more tears.

"What are you crying about, Marena?" Trae asks confused.

"I see you've been deeply wounded by Shinra's cruel actions. It pains me to see my brother hurting, but to know you want to get revenge for our family and us does not make me feel any more better than before," Marena says as her tears drip down to the pavement.

Trae looks at her in more confusion and asks, "I still don't understand what you're talking about. Are you going to join me or do I have to get rid of you, too?"

Marena's tears stop as she looks at him and says, "Your actions have caused death and pain to many people. Even though Shinra is not a good organization, it does not make it right for you to kill them. I'm going to have to ask you to please, stop this idea of destroying Shinra. It is not going to help you ease your pain. Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to destruction. Destruction will only make you hurt worse once you realize the wrong in it. I don't want you to be hurting, Trae."

Trae glares at Marena as her words go through his head.

"So you've chosen to be against me, Marena? If that is so, then I will have to get rid of you if you stand in my way," Trae says as he looks at Marena emotionlessly.

Marena takes a defensive stance and says, "If you are going to carry out your plan to destroy Shinra, then I am going to have to stop you, Trae. What you are going to do is wrong."

Trae shakes his head as he raises his Sais saying, "If you don't wish to get revenge for our family and stand in my way, then you will just have to be demobilized or killed."

"Is the path of a murderer what you choose, Trae? Then I will have to stop you," Marena says as the wind blows her hair.

Trae smirks and says, "You can try, little sister."

Marena's eyes narrow as Trae makes the first move, leaping at her to attack. Marena and Trae engage in a battle of Sais, both trying to demobilize the other. Trae continues to push her back as she defends herself with her weapons.

"You're very skilled with Sais, Marena, but can you keep it up?" Trae asks as both of his Sais is surrounded with a green glow from materia.

Marena's eyes narrow as she notices the hidden materia pouches on his upper arms. As Trae slices his Sais downward on Marena's Sais, the force from the lightning throws Marena backwards. She lands on her already wounded back and quickly jumps back to her feet, ready for the next attack.

Trae advances toward her again and says, "Your precious Cloud isn't here to save you this time, Marena."

Marena glares at Trae for mentioning Cloud's name and pulls materia from the hidden pouches on her legs. She puts them into her arms and they glow green. The element is earth which is revealed as Marena swings her right arm upwards, and the earth under Trae's feet shoots up and wraps around him like a serpent. Trae's arms are held at his sides and he smirks.

"I have a few more tricks up my sleeves, Marena, how about you?" Trae says as he flicks his wrist.

Lightning shoots at Marena, and she holds her Sais up in front of her to connect the lightning. The lightning hits her blades and it slowly starts pushing her back. Marena grits her teeth as she tries to concentrate on constricting Trae and holding the lightning at her blades.

"Marena..!" Trae screams angrily causing Marena's concentration to break long enough for the earth around him to let go slightly for him to get free.

Trae throws his arms out to the side, causing the earth to disperse. The materia in Marena's arms wear out and the earth lands in a pile around Trae. The lightning Trae is using however continues to push on Marena's blades. Marena concentrate's hard on trying to save her from being engulfed by the lightning and finally Trae's materia wears off, too. Electricity surges between Marena's two blades and it finally wears off as she separates the metal. Marena walks toward Trae as she swings her Sais in a fancy way to make him watch them as she comes up with another plan to defeat him besides materia. They engage in a weaponry battle again, this time Marena on the offensive and Trae trying to defend him as he backs up.

"This is becoming boring, Marena. Let's try something else!" Trae says as he stops backing up and holds his Sais pointing toward each other to catch Marena's Sai.

Marena breathes hard as she stops walking as she feels Trae stop and push back on her. Trae then rotates his Sais in such a way that it forces Marena's wrists to twist, and her Sais are thrown to the side along with Trae's. They then engage in hand to hand combat, with Trae's gloves having finger guards and Marena's fingerless gloves do not. Every time their fists come in contact, Marena's knuckles start bleeding. If Trae lands a single hit on her chest, she could gain a wound and bleed to death, especially if he hits an artery. Marena feels the adrenaline pump through her veins as she blocks Trae's punches and kicks. Finally, she sees an opening through his offense and punches Trae square in the stomach, throwing him backwards. He lands on his feet by doing a spin in the air and comes right back at Marena, not giving a chance to rest. Marena soon realizes he is slowly wearing her down until she has lost enough blood and energy to continue fighting. She quickly comes up with an idea to turn the odds to work for her.

"You're too weak to beat Shinra, Trae! You'll be outnumbered greatly in the long run and they'll destroy you! Even if you used all the materia in the world, you could never be strong enough to destroy Shinra all together!" Marena yells at Trae as he throws punch after punch and kick after kick at her.

She sees a small opening on his side and kicks him there. She hears a rib crack dangerously as he yells, landing on his back and sliding a few yards. Marena stands with her fists raised for a few minutes, recovering from the kick she just landed. Trae lies in the dirt for a few moments before he gets to his feet again. His dark brown hair falls in his face as he feels his side for the damage.

"Wow, you actually managed to break a few ribs, Marena. I'm impressed. You used your head and actually were able to make me fault in my attack. We could be great if you joined me. Don't you see, Marena; we could rule over all three of the continents!" Trae says as he smirks with greed.

Marena sighs as she composes herself and says, "You still haven't realized the meaninglessness in your plan! Do you actually think our parents and brother would want us to destroy Shinra?"

Trae continues to smirk and says, "Oh yes, I think they would definitely want revenge for taking away their first son."

Marena glares at him and says, "You obviously don't know our parents!"

"I know enough to know they loved their jobs and didn't like it when Shinra ordered them to retire. They tried to reason with them but Shinra threatened them with their unborn child's life. If they were alive, they would be alongside me!" Trae says as he pulls a healing materia out of a pouch and heals his broken ribs.

Marena shakes her head and says, "Our parents were not those kinds of people. They wanted to bring peace to the land, and Shinra was in their way. Please, Trae, we could continue their legacy. Stop this useless killing and come home with me."

"What home, Marena? Do you actually think that woman wants you staying in that bar with her and her childhood sweetheart? If you hadn't showed up, Tifa would probably be the one Cloud meets at that church every evening, not you. She would be his little secretary and she would be playing with those two children every night, not you. You just got in their way. You are a nuisance to them!" Trae shouts as he attacks Marena again with hand to hand combat.

Marena is too shocked by what Trae says to react in time, so she is punched in the stomach. The guards on Trae's fingers scraping across Marena's flesh as he hits her. Marena manages to turn herself in the air, so she skids on her left side instead of on her already wounded back. Trae reveals ninja throwing stars in his hands and walks toward Marena. Marena rolls over on to her back to get air as she coughs up blood. She holds her stomach and blood seeps between her fingers.

"You don't seem so tough now, sis," Trae says as he throws the shuriken and they pin Marena down by her clothes.

One of the shuriken makes a cut across her cheek which starts to bleed immediately. When Marena opens her eyes and sees Trae approaching her, she tries to get up but the shuriken have her pinned to the ground. She tenses up as Trae kneels next to her and pulls a dagger from his boot.

He examines his dagger as he says, "I didn't want to do this, Marena, but you leave me with no other choice. You continue to try to stop me so I'm going to have to stop you."

Trae takes the dagger and stabs Marena's left arm which is already bleeding from the scrapes caused by her skid. She grunts in pain, gritting her teeth to keep from screaming. Trae then cuts a line down the side of both Marena's thighs. Marena once again strains to keep in her screams as she groans in pain. Trae smirks as he takes the shuriken out of the ground to unpin her. He rolls her on to her stomach and looks at her legs. He takes the blade and cuts a line from the back of her knee to her calf. He does this to her other leg, and then turns her over to her back again. Marena's face is twisted with pain as tears slowly pour from her eyes. How could her own brother do this to her?

"Those cuts on your legs should keep you from walking. The pressure on the cuts will cause you so much pain you will only collapse because of the amount of energy it takes to stand," Trae says as he grabs her right arm.

He takes the dagger and cuts a line across her wrist and palm. He does this to her other wrist and palm. Trae stands and examines his 'work' with a smirk and sighs.

"This could have been prevented you know, Marena. The next time we meet, I'm sure you'll get stronger but that is only if you live. Your lover is about to arrive. Hopefully he can stop your bleeding in time before you bleed to death," Trae says as he pulls a piece of paper from his pocket.

He dips his index finger in Marena's stab wound and uses the blood to write his trademark 'T. McLowd' on the paper. He sets the paper on Marena's chest and walks away.

"I'll see you later, sis," Trae calls as he picks up his weapons and speeds away on his motorcycle.

Marena lies there in pain, and once she is sure Trae is out of hearing range she screams out in pain. Tears mix in the pool of blood which starts to form around Marena's body, and Marena pulls her phone out of her pocket with much difficulty. She calls a number on her phone and puts it on speaker so she doesn't have to hold it up to her ear.

"Hello? Marena is it you?" a voice answers.

"Cloud..." Marena says as loud as she can manage so he can hear her.

"Marena, where are you?" Cloud asks over the phone.

Marena coughs up blood and says, "I'm on the road to Junon. I know you're nearby. Please, come quickly."

"I'm on my way, Marena. I'll be there soon," Cloud says.

"You better hurry, spiky. I'll never forgive you if you don't make it in time..." Marena says as she starts hyperventilating.

"Marena, are you hurt?" Cloud asks as he hears her breathing.

"Cloud..." Marena manages to whisper, unable to speak again.

"I see you up ahead, Marena. Hold on!" Cloud says.

The line goes dead and Marena just leaves her phone open, not having the strength to shut it. Cloud stops his bike a few feet away from Marena and runs to her.

"Marena..!" Cloud says in surprise as he slides down beside her.

He pulls her into his lap, and she smiles up at him.

"I'm sorry I took off, Cloud. I didn't mean to hurt you if I did," Marena says weakly.

"Who did this to you?" Cloud asks as he searches through his materia for the heal element.

"It was Trae, my older brother. I tried to stop him. He's planning on destroying Shinra and killing anyone who gets in his way. I tried, Cloud," she says trying to make him understand.

Cloud finds three healing materia and begins to use them on Marena.

"It is okay, Marena; you don't have to try anymore. Just rest..." Cloud says as he concentrates on the materia.

He manages to heal all of the wounds except the cuts on her palms, face, and legs. The rest were more important and critical to her survival. Cloud lifts her in his arms and carries her to his motorcycle. He sets her in front of him and speeds off to Junon which is thirty minutes up the road, leaving Marena's motorcycle and weapons behind.

When Cloud reaches Junon, Marena is asleep so he goes straight to the small hospital. The doctors and nurses immediately take Marena into a room to heal her.

"Please, let her be all right," Cloud whispers to him as he sits down in a chair in the waiting room.

He calls Tifa to tell her what has happened. Tifa wants to come right away, but Cloud insists she stay at the bar with the kids since he has things under control. Cloud waits for several hours and starts drifting off to sleep. Before he can get any rest, a nurse approaches Cloud.

"Excuse me, sir? Were you the one who brought in the young woman?" she asks him.

Cloud looks up at her and nods asking, "Is she all right?"

The nurse nods and says, "Yes, but we need her name."

"Her name is Marena McLowd. What is her condition?" Cloud asks.

The nurse looks over her clipboard and says, "Well, she's fully healed, but she used a lot of energy and needs plenty of rest. We recommend she stay here until she is fully rested. You can see her now if you like."

Cloud stands and follows the nurse saying, "I'll make sure she gets rest."

"Good," the nurse says as she comes to the second room.

Cloud looks into the room and sees Marena lying in a hospital bed with an iv in her arm, a heart monitor stuck to her chest through her clothes, and a pulse monitor clipped on to her right index finger. Cloud walks to her bed and hears the nurse shut the door behind him. He pulls up a chair and sits next to her, grabbing her hand gently. Marena's fingers twitch when he touches her and her eyes open slowly to adjust to the light. She looks over to Cloud and tears brim her eyes.

Cloud looks worried and asks, "What's wrong, Marena? Are you hurting?"

Marena shakes her head and grips Cloud's hand. He feels a slight blush creep on to his cheeks, and he moves closer to her.

"I'm here for you, Marena," Cloud says as he puts his other hand on her cheek.

Marena leans her head against his hand, and her tears spill over, running down to touch Cloud's hand.

"I'm sorry, Cloud," Marena whispers.

He looks at her surprised and asks, "For what..?"

She looks down at their hands and says, "For running away from you... I should have let you come with me. I wasn't ready to handle my brother, and if you had been with me I wouldn't have messed up this much."

Cloud wipes her tears away and says, "Marena, don't apologize. You were hurt and confused. I would have done the same, but I probably wouldn't have told anyone I was leaving. You were brave to have come this far, Marena."

Marena sniffles as she nods and falls back to sleep. Cloud sighs as he strokes Marena's hair for a while, and he soon lies his head down on the bed to rest.


	7. You What?

**Chapter Six: You What..?**

Two days after Marena arrived at the Junon hospital she was ready to go home. The doctor allows her to leave on the afternoon of the second day, but with strict orders to stay out of fights and rest.

Cloud walks behind Marena in case she falls or trips and he has her sit in front of him as he drives. When they reach the area where Cloud found Marena, he stops beside her motorcycle.

"Are you strong enough to drive?" Cloud asks as he looks down at her.

Marena nods and says, "Sure, but can you pick up my phone and my weapons? We left them behind because we were in a hurry the other day."

Cloud nods as he gets up and picks up Marena's stuff. Marena walks over to her motorcycle and gets on, pulling her safety goggles over her eyes.

Cloud hands Marena her weapons and phone saying, "Be careful. I'll be following behind you just in case."

"I'm not a child, Cloud. I can take care of myself," Marena says as she puts her stuff away.

Cloud huffs and says, "Well, you're not proving anything by getting yourself hurt."

Marena glares at him and says, "I can't believe you would say that!"

"Well, it's the truth, Marena," Cloud says as he walks over to his motorcycle.

She shakes her head as she starts up her motorcycle and speeds away, back toward Midgar. Cloud follows her.

They reach Midgar by night fall and go to the Seventh Heaven. When they park, Marena pulls off her goggles and puts them on a handle bar. She leans forward against the handle bars and sighs tiredly.

"I feel so tired, Cloud. Do you mind carrying me?" Marena asks with a slight blush.

Cloud nods and puts Marena's bag over his shoulder, and then he picks Marena up bridle style and carries her into the bar. The bar was closed when they arrived, so there wasn't a child or person in sight except Tifa who is sitting on one of the couches.

She sees them and jumps up saying, "You're back! How is Marena?"

Marena looks up at Tifa and grins saying, "I'm just a little tired, Tifa. Do you mind bringing me up a glass of water?"

Tifa nods saying, "No problem!"

Cloud takes Marena up to her room and stops at the door. Two pieces of paper are taped to her door and they each have a drawing on it. One has a drawing of two stick people. One of the stick people is tall and the other is short. Denzel's name is at the bottom of the paper with a 'get well soon' note at the top. The other drawing is of the Seventh Heaven bar with a stick person holding a microphone and a group of shorter stick people standing around her. Marlene's name is at the bottom of the paper and a note saying 'get well soon so you can sing to us again' is at the top.

Marena smiles as a few tears fill her eyes and she says, "This is a drawing of the first time I met Marlene. I was singing to her and a few other kids in the street before I left."

Cloud smiles and goes into the room saying, "They care a lot about you, Marena. Tifa told them you'd be back, so I'm glad I came after you or you may not be here."

He sets her on the bed and goes to her closet getting clothes for her to sleep in out. He tosses her some pajama bottoms with a tank top, and she catches them.

"Yeah, well I would have come back if I had known Trae was far beyond my help," Marena says as she changes.

Cloud keeps his back to her and says, "You met him, so tell me what are his plans?"

"He plans to destroy Shinra and anyone who stands in his way. I have to call Reno in the morning when I don't sound like I've been through hell," Marena says as she lies down.

Cloud sits on the other bed and says, "It could be too late by then. Why don't you call him now?"

Marena thinks about it and says, "You're probably right. I don't know where he's going to start."

Marena picks up her phone and calls Reno's cell.

"Hello?" a voice asks on the other line.

"Hey, Reno, it's Marena," she says.

"Well, I knew that, Rena. What is it?" Reno asks irritably.

"My brother's name is Trae McLowd. He's planning on destroying Shinra and anyone who gets in his way," she says.

"What..! You mean you met him?" Reno asks.

"Yes, and he beat the hell out of me. I was in the hospital for two days. When you find him, be careful. If he almost killed me, you know he's going to be trouble for you and Rude alone," Marena says as she adjusts the phone to her other ear.

Reno replies, "Thanks, Rena! Do you know where he's heading?"

Marena sighs and says, "I last saw him in Junon."

"Alright, thanks, Rena! Bye!" Reno says.

Before she can reply the line goes dead.

"I hate it when he does that!" Marena says as she slams her phone shut and throws it at Cloud.

Cloud catches it with one hand and says, "Temper..?"

Marena sighs and says, "Sorry, Cloud, I forgot you were sitting there. I've gone through over ten phones because of him."

Cloud sets the phone on the nightstand saying, "It sounds like you have an anger issue."

"I've always had an anger issue, Cloud. Where is Tifa? I thought she was bringing me some water," Marena asks.

Tifa suddenly walks in with a glass of water and two pills in her hand.

She gives them to Marena and says, "Sorry it took so long. I misplaced the pills. I knew you were probably feeling bad, so I brought them for you."

Marena smiles as she takes them and says, "Thanks, Tifa."

"No problem. Since I know you're okay, I'm going to bed. We can talk some more tomorrow, goodnight," Tifa says as she walks to the door.

"I'm sorry, Tifa," Marena says before Tifa shuts the door.

Tifa pauses and looks at her saying, "For what?"

Marena looks her in the eyes and says, "For saying those awful things to you. I didn't mean them. I was upset."

Tifa smiles and says, "Thanks for that. I was worried there for a while, Marena. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tifa," Marena says as Tifa shuts the door.

Cloud looks at Marena and asks, "What did you say to her that was so awful?"

"I told her she was blind, and that she could never understand what its like to not be normal. I told Tifa her words wouldn't help me and to stay out of my business. I really hurt her feelings. I know I did," Marena says as she looks down at her hands.

Cloud puts his hand on her hand and says, "I think we've all been blind to what you're feeling, Marena. If you talk to me, maybe I can understand a little better. I may not be able to help you any, but maybe I can comfort you better. I'm tired of letting you down when you need me the most. I've always been weak in that area. I may not be any good at helping people, but I want to start trying."

Marena looks at their hands and says, "Are you prepared for the truth, Cloud? The truth about me and who I really am?"

Cloud nods and says, "I want to know."

Marena sighs and begins to tell Cloud everything Trae told her about the SOLDIER-X project. When she finishes, Cloud's face is blank of emotion.

He suddenly looks angry and says, "After what they did to Sephiroth, they still haven't learned a thing. Shinra has been going behind everyone's backs to do this."

"Cloud, wait a minute. I want to stop Trae. I don't want him to kill anyone else," Marena says.

"But what about what they did to you and your family?" Cloud asks with confusion.

Marena shakes her head and says, "My parents wouldn't want Trae to get revenge. They would say 'what's done is done'. They never believed in killing people for revenge. At first they were angry at Shinra for making them retire, but then they were happy because they had a family. They wouldn't go back to killing people no matter what happened. I believe they would have wanted peace. They were always talking about how unfortunate everyone else is, when they needed to think about themselves. Cloud, I don't want their legacy to be tainted by Trae's plans for revenge. We must stop him, and I can't do it alone."

Cloud looks thoughtful for a moment and then nods.

"I would want the same. Alright, here's the plan. I'll have Tifa call Cid and Cait Sith and get a location on your brother. Trae won't be hard to find if he's destroying Shinra bases. I'll call the others and have them report here for further instructions. In the meantime, we should think of a plan of attack," Cloud says as he stands.

Marena looks up at him and starts laughing. He looks at her oddly and puts his hands on his hips.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

She laughs and says, "I haven't seen you this serious in a long time, Cloud; not since Sephiroth was here."

Cloud relaxes and scratches the back of his head saying, "Well, you said you wanted him stopped."

She sits up and says, "I do, its just I never thought you would go this far for me."

Cloud sits on her bed and pulls her into a hug saying, "I would do anything for you if it made you happy."

Marena blushes and her heart beats fast. The smell of Cloud's hair fills her nose, and his blond locks tickle her cheeks. She relaxes into his arms and leans her head on his shoulder.

"Cloud..?" Marena asks.

"Yes..?" he wonders.

She closes her eyes and says, "Do you love, Tifa?"

He pulls away a little to look at her face and asks, "Why do you ask?"

"Because it seemed you two were close before I came along. I didn't make you feel different about her, did I?" she asks.

Cloud looks at her with understanding and says, "Before you came along, Tifa and I were just friends and partners in business. At one point, I thought I loved her, but then I thought I loved someone else. Then once that someone else died, I realized I didn't love either of them. We were just really strong friends. But when I look at you..."

When he pauses, Marena looks up at him expectantly.

"When you came along, I felt I had a reason to feel again. At first I didn't feel I could trust you or like you at all. Now, I trust you with every word I speak. If it had been Yuffie or Tifa who had taken off like you did, I would have let them go. But I went after you, and I don't understand it," Cloud says as he looks up at her.

Marena blushes and becomes nervous saying, "Cloud, I'm really tired. Please, could you leave?"

"But..." he starts as he reaches out for her shoulder.

When she backs away a little, Cloud leaves her alone.

He stands and kisses Marena's head saying, "Goodnight."

When Cloud gets to the door, Marena whispers a goodnight to him, too. Cloud looks back at her and nods with a smile. When he shuts the door, Marena feels an overwhelming feeling in her chest. It feels likes thousands of butterflies are fluttering within her self. The only love Marena had really felt was from her parents and her brother, Trent. She was beginning to feel something similar to love for Cloud, except it was a different kind of love.

"I don't understand it either, Cloud," Marena whispers as she lies down and tries to get some sleep.

Later that night, at almost midnight, Cloud comes into Marena's room and stands by her bedside quietly. He reaches out to touch Marena's shoulder but hesitates for a moment.

"What am I doing?" Cloud thinks to him self.

He takes a deep breath as he gently shakes Marena's shoulder. Marena slowly wakes up and looks at Cloud.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" Marena asks tiredly.

Cloud takes her hand and says, "I know you need rest and everything, but I need to tell you something."

"Can't it wait till morning?" Marena asks as she sits up.

Cloud shakes his head and says, "If I don't say it now, I won't be able to say it later."

"Say what..?" Marena asks him.

Cloud pauses for a long moment before he says, "I love you..."

Marena freezes as she stares at him and asks, "You what..?"


	8. Confessions, Constricting

**Chapter Seven: Confessions-Constricting**

"What do you mean?" Marena asks nervously as she looks to the side.

Cloud nervously sits on the bed next to Marena and sighs.

"I mean I love you, Marena. When I went to bed, I kept thinking about you and what I'm doing for you. When I first met you, I thought you were just a trouble maker. Now, I finally understand how I feel, Marena. I care about you, and I want to prove it to you by trying to stop your brother," Cloud says as he puts his arm around Marena.

Marena blushes furiously and says, "Wow, I don't know what to say, Cloud..."

"You don't have to say anything. You don't even have to say you love me. Just let me help you," Cloud says as he puts his other hand on Marena's hand.

Marena looks into Cloud's eyes for a moment before she says, "I... I can't say I love you, Cloud... But I'll let you help me. I think you have great plans to stop Trae, and I want to be apart of them. The last time something big was happening, you had me stay here with Marlene and Denzel. I wanted to help with Sephiroth, and you wouldn't let me. Let me help with my brother."

Cloud grins and says, "Of course I'll let you help. I didn't want you to get involved with Sephiroth, but this time I'm getting involved with you and Trae. This is your battle, Marena. I can't fight it for you, but I'll do everything I can to help you."

Marena bites her bottom lip and then says, "Thank you, Cloud. You've already done so much and said so much."

He smiles and turns her face toward him.

"I already told you, Marena, I'll do anything for you," Cloud says as he leans toward Marena, looking at her lips.

Marena's blush deepens as Cloud's lips hover above hers. His warm breath turns her lips pink with warmth, and then he kisses her. Her body tenses, and her eyes widen slightly. At first, she just sat there with Cloud's lips on her lips. When she felt his hand on her lower back pulling her closer, she slowly kissed him back. Her body loosens, and her eyes close like Cloud's. Marena puts her hand on his chest as Cloud holds her other hand. It was a sweet, innocent kiss on the lips which began to bring warmth into Marena's chest. They slowly pull apart and look into each other's eyes. Cloud runs his fingers through her white hair and smiles as a small blush creeps to his cheeks. Marena smiles back and looks down at Cloud's hand holding hers.

"This is going to change things between us," Marena says as she looks back up at him.

Cloud raises an eyebrow saying, "Not that much. We'll still be close, just a little closer."

After a few minutes of looking into each other's eyes, Cloud stands up as he clears his throat.

"I should get back to bed, and you still need your rest," Cloud says as he rubs the back of his neck.

Marena smiles and says, "Goodnight, Cloud."

Cloud looks down at her and says, "Goodnight, Marena."

He kisses her cheek and walks out of the room. Marena blushes as she touches her lips, and then her cheek.

"Wow," she whispers as she lies back down.

A smile slowly creeps across her face as Marena pulls the covers over her and falls asleep with the memory of the warmth from Cloud's lips surging through her body.

The next morning, Marena wakes up and stretches. She is still a little sore from her most recent encounters, but she ignores the aches as she gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom with a change of clothes in one hand and her shower bag in her other hand. She enters the bathroom and locks the door behind her. She turns the shower on and takes off her clothes, waiting for the water to heat up. Marena's reflection in the mirror shows a slim figure with a fine muscle build, shoulder length white hair, and many scars covering her body.

Her scars include the road rash on her back from sliding across the pavement, the scar on her left arm from being stabbed, and a round scar on her stomach from being punched with Trae's guarded fist. There are scars that look like lines on her legs from the back of her knees to her calves, and both her wrists and palms have scars where Trae slashed them. She runs her fingers over her scars and tears form in her eyes. These tears are both angry and sad because she knew this meant she would have to kill her brother. Whether they are friend or foe he will kill them; family members as well.

"Why won't you just stop..?" Marena whispers to herself.

The water in the shower is extremely hot when Marena steps into the shower. For some reason though, the water does not bother her as she lets the hot water turn her skin red. She runs her long fingers through her wet hair and moves her hand in front of her face. A wad of her hair is between her fingers, having fallen out or become loose from the stress placed on her body. She throws the wad of hair in the toilet and continues her shower.

After washing her hair and body, Marena turns off the water and steps out of the shower. She grabs a towel off the wrack and dries her body. She dries her hair enough to keep the water from dripping on her clothes, but the white locks are still wet as she wraps the towel around herself. Marena stares at the fogged up mirror for a moment before she wipes it clear with her hand. She gasps when she sees her brother's reflection, seeing him standing behind her. She nearly screams in surprise, thinking it is the only way to get someone's attention, but she is stopped by her brother's gloved hand covering her mouth.

Trae grabs her shoulder and spins her around, slamming her back against the edge of the sink. Marena grunts in pain where her already aching back is slammed into the sink and tears automatically spring to her eyes.

"Didn't think I'd show up here did you, sister?" Trae asks rhetorically as he holds both of Marena's wrists in his free hand.

She screams at him through his hand, but it is only muffled. Trae laughs and spins, slamming her back against the concrete wall across from the sink. The air in her lungs rushes out through her nose, and Trae laughs at the weakness of her body and grunts of pain.

Trae presses his body against her to keep her from being able to get free as he says, "Listen carefully, Marena... You can try to stop me, but I am not going to give you an easy time. I'm not going to hold back nor will I show any mercy to your friends. If they come after me, I will destroy them."

Marena jerks her head to the side, freeing her mouth from under Trae's hand, and says, "If you dare hurt my friends, I will..."

Trae moves his mouth to Marena's ear saying, "You'll what, exactly, Marena; kill me? Don't you remember what I did to you last time? The scars I left are remarkably a beautiful work of art."

Marena growls as she tries to get her wrists out of Trae's grasp to push him away, but her attempts are feeble since her body is still too weak to gather the strength to move his weight.

"Get off of me, Trae!" Marena yells loudly, deliberately trying to get someone to hear her, someone like Cloud.

Trae smirks as he backhands her across the face, moving away from her as he does, causing her to fall roughly to the floor. Marena tries to catch herself by putting her hands out in front of her but that only scrapes up her palms because her arms give out from under her weight. He laughs as he bends over and grabs the back of Marena's neck, pulling her up to her feet forcefully, and holding her in his arms. Trae has her positioned in such a way that she is facing his chest and her arms are at her sides.

"Tell me how it feels to be weak, Marena? Ever since I can remember I've been stronger than anyone alive. What does it feel like to be in the arms of someone who could crush you in a single tight squeeze?" Trae asks as he looks down at his sister.

Marena glares up at him and says, "It feels like being in the arms of a monster..."

Trae's left eye twitches, and he laughs as he slowly tightens his arms around her. Her breath catches as her oxygen is cut off from her brother's constricting arms. In an attempt to get air, Marena opens her mouth as she tries to suck in air, but her brother's grip is way too tight. He laughs as he watches her slowly suffocate, and then he throws her to the ground.

"I dare you to come after me, Marena. Once you find me, you better take the first chance and kill me, or you'll regret it and so will your friends," Trae says as he leaves through the window.

Marena takes in a deep breath of air which causes her to cough from having her oxygen cut off for so long. A strong knock on the door causes Marena to cough again since she tried to ask who was there.

"Who's in there..? It's me, Tifa!" a voice says on the other side of the door, "Hey, are you all right?"

Marena coughs as she tries to take another breath, but her oxygen just won't seem to come in right.

Tifa finally kicks in the door and gasps when she sees Marena trying to breathe on the ground with only a towel wrapped around her.

"Just focus on breathing, Marena! Through your nose and out your mouth, or you'll just keep choking!" Tifa says as she rushes to Marena's side and sits her up, rubbing her back.

After a few minutes, Marena is still unable to breathe which makes Tifa realize what is going on. In an act of desperation, Marena punches herself in the stomach, trying hard to get oxygen. Tifa holds Marena's hands down and tries to keep Marena from hurting herself.

"Cloud..! Get in here! It's an emergency! It's Marena..!" Tifa yells as she tries to hold down Marena.

Marena's face has already turned dark red and her eyes are bloodshot from the lack of oxygen. Cloud rushes through the bathroom door and sees what is happening.

"What happened to her?" Cloud asks as he rushes to Marena's other side.

"Ask questions later, just do something!" Tifa yells.

Cloud looks down at Marena who is struggling to breathe and pulls her into his arms.

He whispers, "I'm sorry..."

"Tifa, hold her nose," Cloud says to Tifa.

Tifa nods and pinches Marena's nose shut. With a tight squeeze, Cloud constricts her already contracting airway and looks at her face. He leans down and presses his mouth against her mouth. Cloud uses his tongue to force her lips apart and slowly loosens his grip. When Marena's airway is opened up, Cloud breathes air into her mouth.

Cloud pulls away and says to Tifa, "Let go."

Tifa lets go of Marena's nose, and Marena does not breathe at all. She neither exhales the breath Cloud had breathed into her, nor does she inhale anymore air. After a few seconds, Marena slowly releases Cloud's breath and slowly breathes in fresh air through her nose. Marena does this for a few minutes before she finally breathes normally and collapses against Cloud's chest. Tifa relaxes when she sees Marena is only resting, and she herself collapses against the wall in the bathroom.

"I thought for a moment there we were going to lose her," Tifa says as she sighs.

Cloud, thinking Marena has passed out, looks at Tifa and asks, "What happened to her?"

Tifa looks at him and shrugs saying, "I don't know. I just heard some loud noises coming from the bathroom, so I decided to check on whoever had come in here. I had heard the shower come on earlier, but I was in the bar so I didn't see who it was. When I wasn't getting an answer, I kicked the door in and found Marena like this..."

Cloud looks puzzled and looks back down at Marena who had collapsed against his chest and was indeed passed out... and only in a towel.

He looks away and blushes saying, "Uh, Tifa do you mind..?"

Tifa looks at him confused for a moment before she realizes what he is getting at and says, "Oh, alright, just leave her to me!"

Cloud nods as he passes Marena over to Tifa and leaves the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He leans against the wall as he waits for them.

A few minutes later, Tifa calls Cloud back into the bathroom for his help. Marena is dressed in the change of clothes she had brought into the bathroom with her, and her hair is dry.

"I can't pick her up," Tifa says with embarrassment.

Tifa is strong but Marena is just a tad bit more muscular which causes her to be a bit heavier than normal. Cloud nods as he lifts Marena into his arms bridal style and carries her back to her room. Tifa picks up Marena's dirty clothes and puts them in the washroom for her to clean later.

Cloud lays Marena in her bed and stands at the bedside. He takes a few minutes to examine her body to see if she had any traces of what might have happened to her. Cloud finds bruises shaped like fingerprints on the back of Marena's neck, and a bruise forming on her lower back where it looks like she was shoved into something. Her cheek is also starting to show a bruise where she was slapped, and a small trickle of blood is coming from a cut in her lower lip.

He sighs as he leaves her on the bed to go get a cloth from the bathroom. Cloud comes back into Marena's room with a warm wet cloth in his hand and sits on the bed beside Marena. He gently wipes away the blood and holds the cloth against her lip to stop the bleeding.

After about five minutes, he moves the cloth away and is satisfied to see the cut is no longer bleeding. Cloud brushes Marena's stray hairs out of her face and watches her rest.

"I have a pretty good idea of who did this to you, Marena. I swear, I'll never let you be alone like that again," Cloud whispers to Marena as he rubs her swore cheek.

Before Cloud can catch himself, he rests his head on the pillow beside Marena and falls asleep. He had not been able to get any sleep after last nights events playing through his head.


	9. The Battle Begins

_**Chapter Eight: The Battle Begins**_

Marena slowly opens her eyes and takes a deep breath. She tries to sit up to look around, but there is a weight across her stomach and a leg pinning her legs in place. She turns her head to the left and sees a mass of blonde hair in front of her face.

"Cloud..?" Marena calls and immediately regrets it.

Her throat is sore, and her lips and cheek throb in pain. The memories of her last shower come flooding back in her mind, and she realizes her older brother almost killed her again. Marena wonders why she was unable to catch her breath and how she was able to breathe again. She suddenly remembers Cloud's warm lips pressing against her mouth, and his tongue forcing her to open her mouth to let him breathe oxygen into her constricted airway. Her face turns red as she remembers the embarrassing moment with Tifa pinching her nose and Cloud holding her naked body covered only by a small white towel.

"Why do people keep attacking me in the shower?" Marena thinks as she tries to figure out how Cloud came to be sleeping in her bed, and who dressed her?

Surely Cloud wasn't the one who dressed her. Tifa must have done it. She was there after all. Marena puts her right hand over Cloud's arm which is draped over her stomach, clinging to her side tightly. Who would have thought Cloud was a cuddle bug? She starts shaking his arm, trying to wake him up and wondering how long he's been asleep in her bed. Cloud moans in a questioning tone as he looks up into Marena's blushing face. He looks back down and realizes he fell asleep and is clinging to Marena like a monkey.

"Crap..!" Cloud gasps as he sits up, removing his arm and leg from Marena's stomach and legs, "Marena, I'm so sorry! I was just… You're lip was bleeding and… I must have fallen asleep since I couldn't sleep last night! I'm sorry!"

Marena blinks up at him; her cheeks still red, and she shakes her head at him as she touches her throat.

"Oh, I'm sure your throat is sore. Your airway was constricted when Tifa found you. I was able to breathe into your mouth and get oxygen in your lungs, but you passed out before we could ask you what happened," Cloud explains as he stands up and sits on the bed across from Marena's bed.

Marena frowns when she realizes she liked Cloud beside her. She grabs the glass of water on her nightstand and takes a few swallows of water before trying to speak.

"Trae attacked me in the shower. He was warning me that he'd kill my friends if they tried to stop him," Marena whispers softly, still having trouble with the pain in her throat.

"Why do your enemies like attacking you in the shower? Dante did the same thing," Cloud says as he crosses his arms.

Marena shrugs with a blush and says, "Maybe it's the only time I'm alone behind a locked door. I don't know."

"Well, next time you go to the bathroom, take Tifa with you or call on me and I'll stand outside the door. I don't want you to have a single moment alone where there is a possibility Trae could appear and try to kill you again. I called Barret earlier this morning and asked him to gather everyone to meet here tonight after closing time for the bar. We'll have a strategy meeting and figure out how to stop Trae. Reno and Rude will be here too. They had an encounter with him in Junon right after you called them. Trae isn't wasting any time to destroy Shinra," Cloud says.

Marena sighs and says, "I can't believe I can't even use the bathroom without someone trying to kill me."

Cloud laughs and says, "Well, at least you have me and Tifa here. Are you hungry? I can bring you something if you're too weak to move."

Marena shakes her head as she puts her feet on the floor and pushes herself to her feet. She sways slightly before getting her balance and smiling up at Cloud.

"I'm all right. I just need to move around. I'm so stiff from all the sleeping and bruises. I am hungry though," Marena says as she walks with Cloud downstairs.

Tifa is moving around the bar, preparing to open for the lunch shift. Marena had slept the whole morning away. Cloud sits on a bar stool and watches Tifa prepare lunch. Marena joins Tifa behind the bar and starts preparing the dishes for the children.

"Marena, how are you feeling? You don't have to help me today if you aren't up to it," Tifa says as she starts piling food on the plates Marena had set out.

"I'm all right for now. I just need to move around a bit. I don't mind helping," Marena says as she starts taking the full plates to the long table in the back.

Once the table is set with plates of food and cups of water, Tifa calls for the children to come downstairs and has Marena get the children from outside to stop playing and wash up. Once all the kids are eating, Marena and Tifa prepare a plate for Cloud and themselves. Tifa asks about the shower incident, and Marena explains to her what happened.

"Wow, what is up with you and the shower? Your enemies really like to jump you in there," Tifa states as she takes a drink of water.

Marena shrugs as she takes a bite of her sandwich and glances over at Cloud who is eating silently. He looks up when he realizes Marena staring at him and smiles at her. She blushes and looks down at her food, taking another bite. The children finish eating before them and go outside to play. Marena finishes before Tifa and Cloud and starts taking the children's plates to the sink, dumping the uneaten bits into the garbage. She starts washing dishes and soon, Tifa joins her to help by drying and putting the dishes up.

Cloud stands up and says, "I guess I'll start making some deliveries before it gets too late. I had to delay three days worth of work while we were gone. If I get anymore calls to make deliveries, tell them we're closed for the next three days. The recommendations list is in the top drawer of my desk if they don't know who else to call. There are probably two or three good ones on that list. I'll see you two at dinner. Don't forget about the meeting after the bar closes."

"Alright, be safe, Cloud," Tifa says as she puts away some of the dry dishes.

"Leave it to me," Marena says with a smile.

"Later," Cloud says as he walks outside.

Marena finishes up the dishes just as the first customer enters the bar. Tifa goes ahead and takes their order while Marena cleans up the sink and dries her hands. The bar has a steady flow of customers for lunchtime, but it starts slowing down after two o'clock. This gives Marena time to catch up on the dirty dishes piling in the sink as Tifa takes care of the last of the lunch customers.

"I'm so tired!" Marena says as she collapses onto a bar stool while Tifa cleans up the tables.

"Go ahead and take your first break. I'll finish cleaning," Tifa says as she takes the garbage out.

Marena gets a glass of water and drinks it slowly. Her throat still sore and dry from taking customers' orders all day. The phone in Cloud's office rings, so Marena runs to answer it.

"Strife Delivery Service; you name it, we'll deliver it. How can I help you?" Marena says into the phone.

"Yes, I need some parts delivered from the Midgar store to my store in Kalm. Is there any way it can be delivered tomorrow by noon?" a male voice says.

"Unfortunately our delivery schedule is booked for the next three days. I do have a list of other delivery services you can use if you'd like," Marena says.

"Sure, that'd be great," the man says.

Marena reads the list to him and he thanks her, hanging up before she can respond. She shrugs as she sits down in Cloud's chair, resting for a few minutes before her break is over.

Returning to the bar to help Tifa, Marena notices Tifa having trouble with a man toward the back of the bar. He has quite a few empty glasses on his table which means he's had a lot to drink.

Marena approaches them and asks, "Is there a problem here, Tifa?"

"I was just telling this guy that I can't give him anymore to drink. He's already at his limit. If I give him anymore then he won't be able to drive home," Tifa says as she crosses her arms.

Marena looks down at the guy who she recognizes as one of the guys she has had problems with before.

"Look, I don't know why you think you need to drown yourself in anymore alcohol, but you can't have anything else but water. I'd be more than happy to make you some coffee to help you sober up, but you already look like you are unfit to drive. We'll have to take your keys from you if you want more to drink," Marena explains calmly.

"Whatever, I'm not giving my keys to someone I don't know! I just want another beer, lady," the guy says with a slur.

Marena sighs and says, "Like I said, you can't have anymore alcohol. If you don't calm down, I'll have to ask you to leave, sir."

The guy snorts and says, "I pay good money and for what; shitty service and two sluts that don't put out?"

He reaches out and grabs Tifa's chest with a grin. Tifa gasps and grabs the guy's wrist, twisting it back angrily.

"Alright, buddy, get the hell out of my bar!" Tifa yells as she yanks him up and drags him to the door.

"Let me go, bitch! You're hurting my arm!" the guy yells.

Tifa shoves him out the door saying, "Gladly..!"

When Tifa comes back in, Marena is already clearing away the table.

"He did pay his bill, right?" Marena asks.

Tifa nods and says, "I always take up the money when I bring them the drinks. What have you been doing?"

"I normally give them the check when they're done," Marena shrugs as she takes the empty glasses to the sink.

Tifa sighs and says, "Well, from now on start taking the money when you give them the drinks. We can't risk something like that happening and not getting the check paid."

"Sure," Marena says as she washes the dirty dishes.

Tifa goes to check on the other patrons which are just people hanging out and drinking. The lunch hours are over, so she won't be making anymore food until dinner.

Cloud comes in just as people start ordering from the dinner menu. He sits at the bar and Tifa sets a glass of water in front of him.

"How many people have called today, Marena?" Cloud asks.

"One, I told him to call another store since our schedule is full for the next three days. Did you finish today's deliveries?" Marena says as she sets a plate of food in front of him.

He nods and says, "Yeah, I managed to deliver a few orders early, so there won't be so many tomorrow. I might finish before the third day unless we decide to go after Trae tomorrow. If that's the case, then I'll finish the deliveries the day after tomorrow."

Marena nods and says, "That's probably what will happen. We'll talk later. I have to get the children their food."

"Sure," Cloud says as he digs in.

Marena sets out dishes for the kids, and Tifa fills the plates like they did at lunch. Once the kids are finished, Marena clears the table and washes the dishes. The kids go outside, and Tifa tells them to be home by dark. The rest of the dinner shift goes by smoothly, and people start leaving with their bellies full and a smile on their faces. Cloud goes to his office to answer the phone, and Tifa and Marena clean up the bar, turning off the open sign. Thirty minutes later, the Avalanche crew shows up along with Vincent. They gather around in the basement meeting room and greet each other.

"Marena, we heard what happened! How are you feeling?" Yuffie asks as she hugs Marena gently.

"I'm fine now, just a little sore. How are you guys doing?" Marena asks everyone as she returns Yuffie's hug.

They all have positive responses as Tifa passes out some drinks.

Cloud stands up and says, "Alright, you all know why we're here. Marena learned about a lost older brother, and he is bent on destroying Shinra and all who stand in his way. Marena is almost fully recovered. This is her fight, but Trae is too strong for her alone. We all need to work together to stop him."

"He nearly killed Marena the last two times they met, and we all know how strong she is. If she couldn't kill him, then we will all have trouble," Tifa says as she sits next to Yuffie and Marena on the couch.

"Do we know what his weaknesses are?" Vincent asks.

Marena replies, "He tends to use lightening materia, so water and earth materia will be effective. Earth will negate the electric current, and we all know water and electricity don't mix. He has a bad temper, so it's easy to enrage him enough that he reveals his blind spots. He uses Sais like mine and wears knuckle busters. His armor seemed to be made of leather, but he might have had a plate under it to prevent bullet penetration. If you try to shoot him, it would be best to aim for his head, arms, and legs. He's super fast and good at taunting."

Everyone looks thoughtful as they take in this information, trying to think of ways to fight him.

"I'm really good at stealth and speed, but I also have a lot of materia we can use," Yuffie offers.

"Barret and I can aim for his arms and legs to slow him down with our guns," Vincent says.

"Yeah, it might be difficult to hit his head when he might be expecting it. I might be able to penetrate his armor with my heavier bullets, but I can't promise anything," Barret says.

"Close combat would be quite effective if the armor becomes a problem," Red says as he licks his paw.

Cait Sith says, "I can come up with a few bombs to slow him down!"

Cid nods and says, "Yeah, and I can locate him for ya! If he uses a blade he might just cut my staff in half."

"True, these things are all helpful, but we have to think of his speed. He can easily dodge bullets, but instant detonation bombs would be effective along with the materia," Tifa says, "If I can get close enough, my super powered punches can hurt him a great deal."

Cloud looks thoughtful and says, "These are all great ideas, but we need a strategy. We can't just jump into battle without a plan. He might use shadow monsters or summons."

Marena looks up and says, "I can absorb the shadow monsters with my mist, but I haven't seen him use any summons. He could have been hiding his full potential."

"First, we need to distribute the materia properly. We don't want to use electricity. He might be able to harness it to heal himself. We also have to think of the possibility that fire and ice will work. I have plenty of healing materia stocked up," Yuffie says as she rubs her hands together excitedly.

"That's perfect, Yuffie!" Marena says as she turns to her.

Cloud nods and says, "I still have my Ultimate materia. We could use it to weaken him considerably. If I can get close enough to him, I can fight with my sword."

Marena nods and says, "He will probably try to concentrate on me. If I appear first, he might think I've gone alone to fight him. If you guys can hide your presence long enough for me to start fighting him close up, it will be easier to hit him directly. I might even be able to get close enough to hold him down."

"But if you're too close to him, we might hit you, kid," Barret says.

"I'll be sure to stay out of the way. I also know what kind of attacks you guys have, so I will know what's coming," Marena says with a smile.

"Okay, so the plan is to send Marena out first. We can all wait for our chance on the ships outer deck. He doesn't know about Cid's airship, so he won't be looking in the sky. He'll be expecting us on land," Cloud says, "We'll each take turns revealing ourselves, but once one person reveals themselves, he'll be expecting more. We need to figure out the order."

"Well, the weakest should attack first. He'll think we will send out the strongest first, won't he?" Tifa asks.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Whoever has the least experience in battle will be considered the weakest…" Vincent says as he looks at Yuffie.

"Hey, what are you looking at me for!? I'm pretty strong you know!" Yuffie says as she glares at Vincent.

"Well, you are the smallest besides Cait Sith, and he has bombs that will be good as a surprise," Barret says.

"Aw, fine..!" Yuffie says with a pout.

They discuss who is stronger for a while before finally agreeing on a plan.

"Then we'll attack tomorrow. Do you have a location on Trae yet, Cid?" Cloud asks.

Cid nods and says, "I got a hold of a very strong signature earlier near Junon. I've been tracking it ever since."

"Great, then everyone get some rest tonight. You can use the bunks down here or you can use the cabins on the airship," Tifa says as she clears away everyone's drinks.

While everyone decides the sleeping arrangements, Marena sits in silence. Yuffie approaches her and grabs her hand.

"Hey, girl, you look like you could use some of this," Yuffie says as she puts a healing materia in Marena's hand.

Marena smiles and says, "Thanks, Cloud has been out of materia since I was in the hospital, so I've just been letting my body heal itself."

Marena activates the materia and it heals her wounds and pains.

Yuffie smiles and says, "No problem. How about we bunk together tonight since you have an extra bed in your room?"

"Sure, that'd be fine," Marena agrees as she stands up, stretching her newly healed body.

Everyone disperses as they head to their desired beds. Yuffie and Marena bunk together, while Cloud and Tifa go to their rooms and everyone else go to the ship's cabins except Vincent who stays in a bedroom in the basement with Red.

The next morning, everyone gathers in the bar for breakfast, dressed in battle gear. Tifa and Marena prepare breakfast for everyone including the children. Marlene and Denzel are left in charge of the other kids while Tifa is gone with the others. After breakfast, they go over the plan again.

"We'll be on the airship, while you ride your motorcycle to Junon. Cid has put a portable tracker on your bike with Trae's position on it. This way you won't have to rely on us to direct you since that could give away our position," Cloud says to Marena.

Marena nods and says, "Okay, I'm ready to go when you guys are."

"Alright, let's get going!" Barret says as he jumps up and heads for the door.

Everyone follows him except Marena and Cloud. They stand beside Marena's motorcycle watching everyone go to the airship which is parked outside the Midgar gates.

Marena looks up at him through her white bangs and says, "I wanted to tell you something before we go since it's possible one of us might get killed."

Cloud looks confused and says, "No one is going to get killed. I'll make sure of that."

Marena shakes her head and looks down saying, "You don't know that for sure, Cloud. Trae is unpredictable. He has already admitted that he'll kill my friends and me. He will stop at nothing to destroy Shinra. You know this…"

Cloud sighs and says, "I will do everything I can to ensure the safety of our friends and you. You know this, too…"

Marena looks up at him and says, "I still have to tell you this though. If I do die or you get killed, I want you to know that I…"

Cloud looks at her questioningly, and he steps closer to her.

"What is it?" he asks curiously.

Marena looks into his eyes which match hers, and she says, "I think I love you, too…"

Cloud's eyes widen in surprise at her statement and he opens his mouth to say something, but Marena interrupts him.

"Don't say anything, Cloud. I said I think I love you. I'm not sure if what I feel is love or not, but every time we touch I feel so warm. Like, there is this weight on my chest and butterflies in my stomach. When you kiss me, I feel like we're the only two people in the world, and I want nothing more than to stay like that forever. I've never felt this for anyone. I'm still not sure what love really is, but I want to find out with you, Cloud," Marena says with red in her cheeks.

Cloud blushes as he takes her into his arms, embracing her tightly as if he never wants to let go. Marena grips his shirt and rests her head on his chest. Cloud runs his hand through her white hair and pulls back enough to see her face. He leans down and kisses her lips gently, pulling her close at her waist. Marena closes her eyes and kisses him back, pressing her lips against his. Her hands grab his neck, pulling him down to her level so she isn't on her tiptoes. Cloud is surprised by her sudden display of affection, and he slowly pulls away, ending the sweet moment. Marena opens her eyes to see him looking down into her eyes as well. They stare into each other's eyes for a moment, before hugging tightly.

"I'll be watching to make sure you're all right," Cloud says as he releases her.

She nods and says, "I'll do my best. Thank you, Cloud."

"For what?" he asks.

"For all the help and support you've given me. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you and the others," she says as she holds his hands.

Cloud squeezes her hands and says, "There's nothing I'd rather do than be by your side and help you, Marena. Now, are you ready?"

Marena sighs and looks toward the airship saying, "Yes. Let the battle begin."


End file.
